Picture: Passionate collision, the field of play is changing
In this exciting matchup, hosts Chelsea came out in a 352 formation with Fofana, Koulibaly, Cucurella at the back, James and Chilwell on the wings, Kovacic, Enzo Fernandez, Kante in the midfield, and Havertz and Félix in the forward line. Opponents Liverpool, on the other hand, are playing in a 433 formation, with Matip, Konate, Gomez, Tsimikas at the back, Henderson, Fabinho, Jones at the helm of the midfield, and Firmino, Jota and Darwin Núñez up front.
(Starting lineups for both sides)
The match started off with a speed and passion duel between the two sides, with Kante's return being a boon for Chelsea, as his ability to defend in the midfield was crucial. Liverpool, on the other hand, had to play without their two main wing-backs, which had an impact on the defense. Chelsea relied on the impact of Havertz and Félix in the opening exchanges and created a number of good chances, but Matip and Konate were not too shabby either, clearing the ball at crucial moments on a number of occasions.
Liverpool also capitalized on their chances, and Darwin Núñez's speed and impact were truly frightening. However, Chelsea did not press forward and concentrated their forces in the middle of the pitch, resulting in fewer passing opportunities for Liverpool's midfielders and more chances for the strikers to get the ball on the wings.
Towards the end of the first half, Chelsea's control in the midfield increased significantly, not only intercepting many passes, but also delivering threatening balls. kante's forward pressure increased the number of passing points, and the pressure on Liverpool's two flanks increased. Liverpool had to play long passes directly from the back, but Chelsea's defense was solid, and Jota and Firmino had a hard time getting into the penalty area, instead Chelsea often created huge space when they split the sides.
The second half started with a shaky Liverpool backline and a weak defense due to the midfield's eagerness to attack. Kovacic and Havertz each had chances to score after the opening five minutes.
Liverpool then concentrated their attack on the left, Chelsea's right, where Darwin Núñez had the ball on a number of occasions, but Chelsea's tight retreat prevented him from getting the ball into the middle, and the lack of numbers at the back to follow up made Darwin Núñez almost a one-man operation, which was not very effective.
Liverpool (England)
In the 64th minute, Salah and Robertson were replaced by Chelsea, followed by Gallagher for Kante. Liverpool tried to press forward, but Chelsea's defense was solid and Liverpool's line was stretched out by this time, which led to Chelsea counterattacking with the ball being sent forward quickly, and several good chances were created in a row.
Liverpool continued to make substitutions, replacing Milner and Gakpo in the 79th minute, while strengthening the pressure in the midfield and the front. In the final stage of the game, both sides were fighting fiercely, but Chelsea's Cucurella defended Salah tightly, and Liverpool's midfield passing was still chaotic, Chelsea steadily controlled the situation until the end of the game, and finally the two teams shook hands 0-0.
This was a much better game for Chelsea. As you can see, with Kante and Kovacic on the pitch, Chelsea's midfield defense was very solid and Enzo Fernandez had more space to pass the ball. Playing on the counter-attack in this format, Félix also had a number of charging chances. Liverpool's attacking power was greatly reduced by the absence of their two main wing-backs, and with Salah out of the lineup, they were unable to recover when they were replaced in the second half. Now that Chelsea has brought back Lampard as acting coach, the Blues are expected to have a good performance in the final stage of the season.
